Tomoe and Bunny
by Fire Red Fox Queen
Summary: An AU in which Tomoe lives and Kotetsu dies.
1. Author's Note

Alright, so I decided to write one long author's note at the beginning of this fic in an effort of trying to restrain myself at the beginning of each chapter. Feel free to skip; I just really need this for my own sake.

I thought it might be really interesting to try a role-switch AU. Not between Kotetsu and Barnaby (though that could be intriguing if written correctly), but between Tomoe and Kotetsu. It seems like a perfectly plausible scenario. All it requires is for Tomoe to have survived her illness and Kotetsu lose his powers sooner, resulting in his death on HeroTV. That's basically what this story is. As such, it's kind of going to be an OC story. Tomoe might be an existing character in canon, but I hardly know a damn thing about her so I can't really tell if I'll be writing her IC or not.

However, I will say that I want a similar dynamic between her and Kaede as Kotetsu has with her, but more strained. It might be OOC for Tomoe, but again, I wouldn't really know. Plus, we all know that despite the shit she gives him, Kaede is definitely a daddy's girl. Kaede will unfortunately be more of an angsty little shit rather than just a kinda bratty one in this story, but I hope it doesn't come across too bad.

I'm still not sure of Tomoe's impact on Bunny just yet since they haven't met yet, but I'm interested to see how it develops as I write it and I hope you will be too. (Also, some cliche. I wanted to avoid them, but hell, I just can't.)


	2. Strain

_There's the crack of a gunshot. Terrible heavy silence fills each second as reality sets in, then the panicked babbling of a commentator. "It looks like Wild Tiger's been shot! He's-"_

Tomoe shot up, breathing hard and tears stinging at her eyes. She forced herself to calm down, slowing releasing blankets from her tearing grip. It had been like this for about a year now, reliving that awful memory. She doubted it would ever stop.

Her feet swung down to meet the bare carpet and she flipped open her cell phone to check the time. 4:37 AM. Huh, she had actually gotten more sleep than normal. She didn't know if that relieved her or terrified her since she still felt as exhausted as if she had never slept at all. She ran a shaking hand through her hair and decided that she was going to start work early again. Going back to sleep wasn't really an option, even if every cell in her body felt strained.

She fumbled around on her bed stand, eventually finding her lamp and turning it on. The dim light barely illuminated the small table it stood on and part of the bed. It wasn't much, but it was enough to see the black laptop that lay right below it.

Yesterday, someone had sent her an email linking to an article about a man who had recently gained NEXT powers at the age of sixty-five. Dr. Ried and the group had already determined that the average age bracket for NEXT development was 9-14 years old. All of the NEXT that Tomoe had personally interviewed had been aware of their abilities since they were at least 18.

It was still difficult to determine if the genetic or chemical structure allowing NEXT abilities is present since birth and manifests later due to some sort of inciting incident or if the powers develop as the user does. This gentleman seemed like he would be a pretty key element to finding out the answer to this question.

Tomoe skimmed through the article, looking for any mention of an accident or anything that might've triggered the activation of the power. She didn't notice anything like that, but the man's ability was alter his density. Maybe the ability was triggered as a coping mechanism for his weakening bones? It was hard to say, as the article didn't specify if the man could regulate what areas become more dense, or if it was the man's density as a whole that changed.

She copied down the man's name to try and contact him later. Then she forwarded the link to the research group. With that done, she opened up her blog and read some of the comments on the most recent post.

Thirty percent of it was harassing comments from people who still saw NEXT as an unnatural freak phenomenon. Another ten percent was just regular spam. Tomoe took a moment to take down all of the inappropriate comments and issue warnings to some of the users. Unfortunately, this was a pretty common occurrence.

There were two comments of interest. One was from a woman reporting that her cousin had experienced a decline in his power. While a decline was relatively rare, it wasn't much of a surprise. What made this case stick out was the fact that it was an elemental ability. It was not surprising for physical and psychic-type abilities to decline. The group determined that these were likely tied to the decline of a NEXT's body and mind with age (though they had not yet obtained solid evidence).

But elemental abilities were the least understood out of the three main types of NEXT power, and there were very few instances of one going into a decline. She sent a message to the user (a _NattyGreen234_), asking for more details.

The other was posted by a visitor.

_Is it possible for people with multiple personalities to have different NEXT powers?_

Interesting. It was a concept that hadn't come up before, though they had considered the possibility of NEXT with disassociative personality disorder not having access to their power when controlled by certain personalities. Tomoe made a note on her computer to look into it.

Rosy sunlight was beginning to stain her curtains red. 6:05. Time to get up for the day.

A couple of hours later, she was pulling open the door to the Stern Bild University science building. She headed straight for Lab 203, where the others were already waiting for her.

"Good morning," she greeted, setting her computer down on the counter. "Any luck?"

Dr. Ried, a spry 59-year-old with a full head of silver and lively gray eyes, shook his head. "The test results of the genetic sequencing and profiling were inconclusive. Given the number of mutations the average human body alone has, it's hard to pinpoint exactly what section of DNA might be causing the NEXT phenomenon."

"It would be easier to locate if we knew of a common factor between NEXT abilities," Iris explained. "Then we could narrow the search. But if each sequence is different for each ability..."

"There's also a strong possibility that the trigger lies outside of the human-specific sequence of DNA. Searching for a very specific factor in that vast expanse of DNA is near impossible with our resources. And it would take forever. Probably literally," Josh pointed out.

"Don't forget that we're not even _sure_ that NEXT abilities are even directly linked to genetics," Iris agreed.

"How are things going on your end, Tomoe?" the professor asked.

"Well, I found some leads to follow. One is a man in his sixties just acquiring an ability; I sent a copy of a link to all of you. The other is regarding an elemental NEXT's power going into a decline. Also, not really a lead, but I did get an interesting question this morning."

"What's that?"

"Is it possible for NEXT with multiple personalities to have multiple abilities?"

Iris tossed her hands up into the air. "As if we don't already have enough variables!"

"If we can get an answer to that question though, we might be able to determine once and for all if NEXT are a genetic phenomenon or not," Josh said, blue eyes narrowed in thought.

"It's definitely worth exploring," Dr. Ried agreed. "I'll contact some of my acquaintances about it. The problem is that the ratio of NEXT to non-NEXT is about 1:75. It might be difficult to find a to guarantee that the group we find will produce reliable results. Any luck with sponsors?"

"Well, I have an appointment today with Mrs. Joubert from HeroTV," Tomoe replied. "She won't be able to sponsor us, of course, but she does have connections to various hero agencies. If I can convince her to pass the word along, we might get some luck this time."

All four sighed as they remembered each email sent out virtually every day for the past several months without a single reply.

"Okay, it's a start, anyway."

"Hey Josh, Iris, do you want to come with?"

"Ah, I can't," Josh said, pushing back short blond hair absently. "I have a seminar to teach this afternoon."

"I have to start organizing and analyzing the data of our last survey," Iris said, not looking too concerned about missing a meeting with the infamous Agnes. "Speaking of which, I should probably start on it right now. There's a lot of information to go through."

"Speaking of, do you have a summary of our findings so far?"

"Yeah, here you go." The dark-haired girl passed over a thin manila folder. "I don't know if it'll help our case or not, but you never know."

"Thank you." Tomoe glanced at her watch. "I better get going. My meeting is in a couple of hours, but I would like some time to grab food beforehand. I haven't had breakfast yet."

Hazel and blue eyes met with a sympathetic look. The students understood the struggle.

"Good luck," Josh told her. Then, "Mind bringing me back some coffee and donuts? The food here sucks."

"You won't get them for at least another three hours."

"Doesn't matter. Never a wrong time for sugar and caffeine when you're a college student. I can last a few hours as long as I know I'm getting them."

"Iris, would you like anything?"

"...Could I get a breakfast bagel and coffee? I gotta take my car in for new brakes." The girl was usually outspoken and blunt, but she was not used to asking for favors.

"Since we're on the subject, could I get some Irish Breakfast tea with a blueberry muffin?" the professor requested breezily, pretending to read a document. Tomoe could see the playful gleam in his slate grey eyes.

"Hey! Tomoe isn't your servant!" Josh said indignantly, missing the subtle hint. "People with proper pay should get their own food."

"You were the one who brought up buying breakfast in the first place!" the professor argued back childishly.

"Yeah, but I'm broke."

"Hey, I'm trying to get some work done here!" Iris snapped, sharply eyeing the arguing pair. The other two fell silent and shuffled papers around innocently, purposely avoiding her stare.

Tomoe just chuckled. "Bye, everyone. See you in a bit."

"Good luck!" Iris said.

"Chocolate donuts, please!"

"Don't forget my blueberry muffin!"

Two hours later, she was climbing out of a taxi in front of the Apollon Media building. It looked big and modern and not at all inviting. It didn't help to ease the nausea that Tomoe could feel creeping in. She wasn't all that sure whether she felt sick because she was exhausted or if she was nervous about the coming meeting. Maybe a bit of both.

She sucked in a deep breath, tugged at her dress, and squared her shoulders. A little bit of nausea wasn't going to be enough to stop her. It had taken a year to get to this point and she wasn't about to back out now.

Her low heels tapped lightly on marble stairs, the sound lost in the noise created by others chattering away on their phones as they entered and exited the building and the congested city traffic. Way sooner than she would like, she was pushing her way through glass doors and stepping into a lobby that was ten degrees colder than outside.

Tomoe shuddered and wished she'd thought to bring a sweater or at least wore a dress with sleeves. Then again, the weather was beautiful outside. How was she to know that the building would be an ice box? Not to mention the lobby looked as cold as it felt. The walls were a gleaming white and the marble floor was polished enough to shine. Elevators lay to the right, shining a haughty gold. There were grey chairs and couches off to the left in what looked like a waiting area, arranged around a TV. But rather than making the space look more comfortable, it only looked like a hospital waiting room to Tomoe. She promptly shut the image out of her mind.

A large desk with the Apollon Media logo emblazened on the front lay straight ahead, and that was her target, so she turned away from her darkening thoughts and made her way forward. The receptionist paused her typing on a computer as Tomoe approached, a professional smile ready.

"I'm here for an appointment with Agnes Joubert," Tomoe said coolly, not letting her nervousness show on her face.

"Name?"

"Kaburagi Tomoe."

"And your appointment time is...?"

"Ten o'clock."

"Great. Agnes will be with you in just a little while. You may choose to wait down here for a bit or head directly to Room 105."

"Where can I find Room 105?"

"Up the elevator one floor, down the left-hand hallway, third door on your right."

"Thank you." Tomoe nodded politely to the girl, who had already resumed her work on the computer. It looked like she had already forgotten Tomoe's prescence. It was a bit disconcerting, just like everything else in this building.

Thankfully, the conference room was easy to find. She was surprised that it was a simple room with a rather small table capable of seating up to six comfortably and a few colorful chairs positioned around it. The walls were a soft eggshell white tinted an almost-blue, completely unlike the blinding spectacle downstairs. The floor was covered with a dark carpet, contrasting the walls and the bright furniture. The harsh flourescent lighting was almost unnoticeable with the sunlight streaming in through a window on the far wall, giving a view of the below courtyard.

Tomoe watched people cross over the sidewalks and tramp over the green grass, ignoring the manicured scenery in favor of getting to their destination faster. Despite only being one floor up, everyone looked so small. Tomoe shook her head in amazement checking the time on her phone. Tomoe desperately wanted to call Kaede, but it was almost ten o'clock on a Friday. Kaede would be in the middle of class right now. Besides, Tomoe reminded herself, Kaede would be coming for her weekly visit tonight. What should they get for dinner...?

Tomoe realized that she had been lost in thought when the door clicked open. She turned to greet the blonde woman who clicked her way into the room on uncomfortable-looking high heels.

"Hello Ms...?" The blonde didn't even look up at her, opting instead to drop down on a tangerine-colored chair. Tomoe, after a moment's hesitation, understood that as a cue to take the spot across from the woman.

"Kaburagi. Yes, pleased to make your acquientance, Miss Joubert," Tomoe replied, bowing a bit awkwardly in her sitting position.

Agnes just waved a hand dismissively. "Agnes is fine. Now, what were- Wait. That name sounds familiar." Her eyebrows pinched thoughtfully for just a moment before softening into a look of sympathy.

"A relative?"

"Wife."

Agnes nodded uncomfortably, seeming unsure how to react. It must have been odd for her, because Kotetsu described her as a woman who always had an opinion to share and wasn't afraid to say it, even if it was rude. The pause lingered for a moment, then her face resumed her previous impatient expression. A touch of softness still lingered in Agnes' teal-green eyes, though.

"What exactly did you need to see me about? I'm on a bit of a tight schedule. I have to attend another meeting in twenty minutes."

"To be frank, I want to make sure that what happened to my husband never happens to anyone else. For this reason, I've joined up with a small research group at Stern Bild University. However, we are at the limit of our current resources."

The blonde just leaned back and sighed. "Unfortuantely, I am strictly in charge of HeroTV and any specials; it's not my decision to promote any studies, even if it is related. You do understand that I'm just a producer specifically for HeroTV, right?"

"I was aware that this would be the case. We were actually hoping that you might be able to connect us with some potential sponsors. We haven't had much luck in the last few months as far as that is concerned, and we can't continue our study without more financial support. I know that it's an undesirable request on our part, but I would like to ensure the safety of heroes and other NEXT as soon as possible."

"It's true that the loss of Wild Tiger did result in a steep dive in ratings for a while. Plus, losing more heroes means less competition."

Tomoe held her tongue, but just barely. She had to remind herself that _this_ was the callous Agnes that Kotetsu always warned her about and that she shouldn't take it personally. Raising ratings was Agnes' job, after all. If ratings convinced Agnes to agree, then so be it.

"Well, Mr. Maverick would probably be the best option, since he started HeroTV in the interest of supporting NEXT in the community. He would the connections and the money to start another venture like this. But it can be very hard to set up a meeting with him..."

"I can't do much, so I can't guarantee that you'll be able to see him, but if you send me a general outline of your data, I might be able to bring the matter up with him. From there, it'll be his decision to contact you or not. If he turns it down, I could maybe contact some other companies."

"Thank you! I actually had a data summary prepared," Tomoe said, passing over the manilla envelope. Agnes glanced over the contents before speaking again, thoughtful.

"Actually, the end of the season for HeroTV is coming up in a few days. There's always an afterparty. All the direct bosses of the heroes and the company CEOs will be there. Mr. Maverick will be too, of course. I'll see what I can do then."

It was honestly more than Tomoe had been hoping for. "Thank you very much," she said, standing to bow gratefully.

Agnes also climbed to her feet and waved off Tomoe's gratitude. "It's the least I should do. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get to my next meeting." She clicked her way over to the door and pulled it open. But before she left completely, she turned back for a moment. "I hope it goes well." Then she was gone.

Once Tomoe sat down on bench in the courtyard, she pulled out her phone and dialed a familiar number. "How did it go?"

She smiled. "Well, as of right now, there are no definite answers, but Agnes promised to try to get me an audience with Mr. Maverick soon. I think we might finally be moving in the right direction."

"Glad to hear it, because Josh found some potentially interesting information today."

"Oh?"

"One of the students in his seminar today is an elemental NEXT. His ability is controlling air composition. He approached Josh because he had recently developed the ability and was worried that he might accidently drive away all the oxygen or pull too much oxygen in. There was already an instance of him waking up unable to breathe at night due to a build up of carbon dioxide."

"That is very concerning, but it doesn't sound too much out of the norm. I assume there's something else to it?"

"You assume correctly. See, the student specifically described it as "driving away" and "pulling in" rather than "changing" or "converting."

"So...it might not be elemental?"

"That's right. I suspect it might actually be a form of telekinesis. In other words, a psychic ability. It might be worth re-examining all of our files on previously interviewed elemental NEXT. At least some might be a form of psychic ability rather than an 'elemental'."

"Hm...I'll be back in about forty-five minutes to take a look through all of our case studies."

"Please do. I set Josh on it, but he can't read anything for more than five minutes and poor Iris is already busy enough."

"Alright, see you soon."

Tomoe set down her phone in a daze. First the meeting with Agnes, and now maybe a clue to understanding elemental NEXT? She tilted her head back to look at the sky. Things were finally starting to go right.

* * *

"You're the best, Tomoe! A real lifesaver!" Josh cried gratefully, grabbing the offered box out of her hands and inhaling deeply. "You have no idea how badly I've been craving some good donuts lately." He stuffed one in his mouth and barely swallowed before he snagged the coffee cup and chugged it down. It had to be scalding hot, based on his pained expression and red face, but he didn't put it down.

Iris just rolled her eyes as she walked over to accept her food and coffee. "You're an idiot," she stated affectionately before she sat down next to him and bit into her breakfast bagel. Her reaction wasn't nearly as obvious as Josh's, but she made a quiet pleased noise and chewed a bit quicker. She then carefully picked up her coffee cup and blew the steam away before taking a small sip. Already she looked more alert.

"And, of course, an Irish Breakfast tea with two sugars and a blueberry muffin for the professor," Tomoe said teasingly as she passed over the bag and cup to the man.

"Ooh, thank you. A muffin sounds lovely right now," he replied, accepting the gift in stride, despite the fact that he had only been joking when he'd asked for it. "Going through these files by myself has been quite daunting." And it certainly seemed as such; there was a massive stack directly in front of him with two smaller piles sitting off to the side.

"I can take over for a bit, if you'd like," Tomoe offered, already reaching for the large stack of papers without waiting for an answer.

"Thank you, much appreciated. I managed to sort out a few potential files that sound like they could be psychic in nature. This pile," he said, pointing to the one with an impressive amount of manila folders in it, "are for those cases. They might be have to be reinvestigated with the possibility of psychic ability in mind. The others that seem far less likely to be psychic and thus don't require immediate reinvestigation, are in the other pile." That pile, of course, was pitifully small. Tomoe sighed inwardly.

"Got it," she replied outwardly, sinking down into a chair for the long haul.

* * *

"She did what?!"

Josh stared over a coffee cup, drink frozen halfway to his face. Iris stopped tapping on the computer. The lab hadn't been terribly loud in the first place, but now the silence was screaming.

"I know, I could hardly believe it myself. Kaede would never do such a thing, but she did. And in front of her entire class. All the poor boy did was tap her on the shoulder." Anju's face was tight with concern, making her faint wrinkles just a tiny bit deeper. Her eyes shot to the side, where Tomoe could just barely see Kaede sulking. "And that's not the only thing. Apparently everything metallic or magnetic began to attach itself to her."

It didn't seem possible for her emotions to feel any more intense, but she was wrong.

"She's a NEXT? Did she know or was this the first time that it happened?"

"We're not sure. Muramasa and I tried talking to her, but she won't say a word."

A heavy sigh released some of the dizziness. "Alright. I'll come back tonight."

"You probably should stay awhile too," Anju suggested. "Even if you're not a NEXT, Muramasa and I might need help keeping her ability under control. It's faded by now, but all the house appliances started moving towards her. If her magnetism grows any stronger..."

Tomoe didn't need to hear the end of the sentence. "I'll see you guys tonight."

"Okay, have a safe trip," Anju said, her eyes once more darting off-screen before the image cut out.

Iris and Josh were still staring awkwardly, not sure what to do or say. Tomoe gathered up the files she needed to look over and tucked them under her arm. "Please tell Dr. Ried when he gets back that I'll be away for a few days."

It was dark by the time Tomoe stepped tiredly off the train. Muramasa was there with his van, ready to pick her up. She dropped gratefully into the van's front seat, bags at her feet, but the comfortable feeling soon vanished after several seconds of tense silence.

It had been this way since Kotetsu died. Muramasa might not have been the type to dote on his little brother, but Tomoe knew that he blamed her at least a bit for his death. After all, Tomoe was Kotetsu's strongest supporter. She was the one who urged him to continue being a hero when she fell sick all those years ago. He was going to quit, to stay with her. Maybe she should have let him. So it was understandable that Muramasa blamed her. Tomoe sometimes blamed herself.

But every time she thought like this, she remembered Kotetsu's love for helping others. His enthusiasm for being a hero. She couldn't have taken that away from him, even if she wished she had.

The tension held until the van pulled up in front of the house. "Thank you," Tomoe offered softly, a plea for peace.

A muttered "sure" was her only reply before the door was shut and the van pulled away.

Inside, the situation wasn't much better. Anju anxiously had gotten the door for her, and explained that Kaede had shut herself in her room.

And when Tomoe gently tapped on her door, she was greeted with a stony silence. "Kaede? Kaede, I know that you're there. Can I come in?"

When no reply offered itself, Tomoe cautiously opened the door and stepped inside the dark room. She almost missed the shape of her daughter lying face down on the bed, head buried in a pillow.

"Kaede sweetie, answer me please." She sat gingerly on the edge of the bed.

Kaede just buried her face further into the pillow.

"Why did you yell at that boy?"

"I didn't want him to touch me," she finally replied, her answer almost muffled into oblivion.

"What was wrong with him touching you? He just wanted to pass you a paper. It was a tap on the shoulder, Kaede. Unless there's something I don't know...?" Tomoe's agitation was threatening to leak into her voice against her best efforts. She was really tired and maybe this wasn't the best time to be addressing this. But she didn't want to wait until tomorrow. She was hoping that despite the reason for the visit, she would be able to spend some time with Kaede. It had been far too long since she last saw her baby girl.

"I didn't want him touching me because he's a NEXT. It was disgusting."

All of her tiredness was ripped away in an instant.

"Kaede!"

When Kaede stubbornly didn't answer, Tomoe forged on, too lost in shock to consider her words. "And did you know before now that you were a NEXT?"

A nod.

"Why didn't you tell me or your grandmother? You never used to keep secrets like this! What were you thinking? You were raised better than this; to be understanding towards others, and not to keep secrets! It can be dangerous to try and control your powers on your own. Think about how worried we-"

"But you weren't! You weren't worried, you couldn't be worried because you're never here!" Kaede shouted, shooting up angrily. "And you didn't raise me any better because weren't you and Papa keeping a big secret from me? That Papa had been a hero since I had been born!" Hurt tears were flowing down Kaede's face, but Tomoe couldn't react. It was true, after all. What should she say in this situation? What _could_ she say?

Her window of opportunity had passed. Kaede's face closed off and she flopped heavily back down on the bed, facing the wall.

"Kaede..."

"Go away."

"Sweetie..."

"I said go away!"

Ashamed, Tomoe could only retreat.

Anju was waiting for her on the back porch.

"...Do you think we should've told her?"

"No. It was in her best interest to keep it a secret. But-" she said, cutting off Tomoe before she could speak, "you should've stayed."

"I couldn't! Kotetsu's death wouldn't have happened if we just knew a bit more..."

"No. That's not why you left, and you know it."

Tomoe went quiet and stared out at the garden, barely able to make out the plants in the waning light.

"How could I console Kaede when I couldn't even console myself?" she asked softly. "I didn't leave my room for days. Searching for answers was the only outlet I had."

"And who else was searching for answers? Who only just found out that not only had her father died, but died because he was a hero? She didn't need you to console her; she needed you to talk to her."

It made Tomoe sick to her stomach. She had not only encouraged Kotetsu to pursue a lifestyle that could-and did-get him killed; she utterly failed as a mother. And while Kotetsu had been happy being a hero and wouldn't have wanted to give it up for anything, Kaede hadn't asked for the consequences. Kaede hadn't even known before it was all dumped on her shoulders at once. Worst of all, Tomoe knew. She _knew_ that she shouldn't have left Kaede and run off by herself. She _knew_ that she was being selfish. She just hadn't wanted to see it.

Anju didn't raise her voice, but that just made the disapproval and disappointment all the louder. The older woman gave the words a moment to sink in before climbing to her feet. "There's some food in the fridge if you're hungry. Your room is set up when you're ready." Her steps then faded away into the house.

Minutes passed, the horizon growing ever darker. Tomoe lowered her head to her knees, trying to hold back tears as she realized that she had never been ready. She hadn't even been near the starting line.


	3. Remedy

After another sleepless night, Tomoe once again got up two hours before sunrise. She had a few messages on her phone from the lab, but it was every just asking if she had gotten home alright. She typed out a couple quick responses and asked everyone to keep her updated if anything important happened. That said, she quickly set her phone to silent. Today was going to be about Kaede. She would check her messages at the end of the day, but until then...

It would be a while before Kaede would be awake, but Tomoe figured she could get some planning in for the day. Now, to start, maybe they could go ice skating? Kaede enjoyed ice skating. As a matter of fact, she had a competition coming up soon and Anju confided previously that Kaede looked to be a shoo-in for the local awards. Tomoe herself enjoyed skating even if she preferred regular skating over ice, so it seemed like a good idea.

After that, maybe they could go see a movie in the next town over? What was even playing right now? She opened up here laptop, forcing herself not to open her emails. Instead, she searched up current movies playing to see if there was anything good.

Anju was up some time later. Her quiet approach almost scared Tomoe off the couch when she finally spoke. "She might like that one," Anju offered, pointing to a teen romance title.

"Really?" Tomoe said doubtfully. "I doubt my baby girl is too interested in romance. This movie about horses seems promising though."

The older woman just shook her head but didn't bother to contradict her. "Would you like some tea?" she asked, moving towards the kitchen.

"Sure, thank you," Tomoe said, still examining the movie list for anything else for just a few more minutes.

Nothing really seemed to stand out, so Tomoe figured that she could discuss it with Kaede in a bit. The kettle started to whistle just as Tomoe stepped into the kitchen.

Anju poured the water into separate mugs and primly sat down at the table. Tomoe knew her mother-in-law well enough to know that the older woman had something to say.

"Is there something wrong?" Tomoe asked carefully, settling into a chair across from the older woman.

"Kaede was going to help me out with the garden today and tomorrow. Pretty soon it'll be time to harvest some of the veggies out there. Plus, I need to pull some weeds. I know you wanted to go out with her since you are home, but my back is hurting lately because of the cold and the plants are just about to reach their peak. Would you mind going out there instead?"

"Yeah, of course I don't mind," Tomoe said, surprised. She was expecting some sort of scolding, even if she couldn't imagine what for. She definitely was not expecting a seemingly innocent request. But Anju wasn't the type to just suggest these things out of nowhere. There had to be something more to it, something Anju wasn't giving away in her expression.

"So how are things in the city?" the older woman asked. "Make any progress?"

"We'll know in a few days; Miss Joubert is going to try and put me in contact with sponsors at this year's end-of-the-season party."

"That's good. Have you been doing anything else outside of research?"

"No, not really," Tomoe admitted.

The corners of Anju's mouth tugged down in disapproval, but she didn't comment further on the subject. After that, the women chatted casually for a while longer until their cups were empty.

"I suppose I better start putting breakfast together," Anju sighed, seeing that the sun was beginning to rise over the horizon.

"Oh, no! I can get it if your back is…"

"I can manage breakfast at least," Anju interrupted. She looked caught somewhere between amused and annoyed. "You just wake Kaede for me, will you?"

"Sure," Tomoe replied, doubtful. She felt bad to leave the cooking to the older woman when she was more than capable of making a meal, but Anju could be stubborn about these things. So instead, she wandered over to Kaede's room. Her knuckles paused before touching the wood. Kaede was so angry last night… She steeled herself. This was ridiculous. This was exactly why Kaede was mad at her in the first place.

Tomoe rapped on the door solidly three times. A groan came from inside the room and it took a few seconds for a sleepy Kaede to pull the door open.

"Good morning, baby girl," Tomoe greeted cheerfully. "How did you sleep?"

"Moooom," she whined, not fighting the hug that Tomoe drew her into. The girl didn't seem too angry now. Maybe her mood improved after a night of sleep? Or maybe she was too tired to remember to be mad right now? Either way, Tomoe would take it. Her little girl wasn't meant to be angry.

"Hey, c'mon. Grandma is making breakfast. We probably still have a few minutes before it's ready. Want to go help her out?"

"Sure," Kaede yawned, tugging her bangs back into her usual ponytail and shuffling sleepily towards the kitchen. It was cute, but Tomoe couldn't help but feel a sharp stab of sadness.

Kotetsu often had issues getting up in the morning. It was at moments like these when Kaede really was just like her father, and it _hurt._ Even though Kaede started to sass poor Kotetsu during the last couple years before he died, Tomoe knew that she was always a daddy's girl.

A horrible scream ripped Tomoe right out of her peaceful thoughts. She scrambled into the kitchen to find Anju desperately gripping onto a pot, burning water splashing onto the floor and the older woman's hands while the heated metal tugged insistently towards a frozen Kaede's face. Forks and other utensils clung to her teddy bear pajamas.

Tomoe herself didn't know how to react for a moment. She had somehow managed to forget that this was the whole reason she came home as opposed to Kaede coming out to visit. It just hadn't been important compared to Kaede's misconduct at school.

"Get her outside!" the older woman barked, readjusting her grip on the handle as it dragged her a few centimeters closer to Tomoe's daughter.

Thankfully, that snapped Tomoe into action. She leapt into the kitchen and dragged Kaede back, away from the dangerous pot still trying to reach her. One of the forks attached to the girl dug into Tomoe's palm, but she hardly even noticed as she tugged Kaede out of the house. A couple of small things managed to stick to Kaede on the way out, but Tomoe was luckily able to pull her outside with anything too large trying to follow her out the door.

Tears were shining in Kaede's eyes when Tomoe finally got her to the middle of the yard. She tried to wrangle herself out of Tomoe's grasp. "Grandma! You have to go check and see if Grandma is okay!"

"Okay, okay," Tomoe said. "Calm down so I can go check on her." Kaede didn't manage to catch a word of that, still struggling. She instinctively wanted to go back inside to help Anju and didn't even seem to realize that her magnetism would only cause more issues.

Sighing, Tomoe took both of Kaede's shoulders. "Kaede!"

The girl paused, panicked brown eyes darting up to Tomoe's.

"Kaede, I need you to stay here. I'm going to go back in, alright? Grandma will be fine. I promise. But I need you to wait out here until the magnetism stops, okay? And then we're going to need to talk about this."

Her daughter bit down on whatever she wanted to say and started half-heartedly tugging at silverware. "Okay" was the almost inaudible reply.

Now that Kaede was out of the way, Tomoe ran back into the house.

"Anju, are you okay?" she yelled.

"Fine, fine. Just a little burnt is all. Nothing I haven't dealt with before."

The older woman was standing at the sink, running water over her red hands. "We should probably call a doctor out," Tomoe suggested. "Just to make sure it isn't anything more serious than it looks."

"No, no. All it needs is some ointment," Anju insisted. The woman was usually so practical that Tomoe sometimes forgot where Kotetsu got his stubbornness from.

"Alright. I'll go grab the first aide kit. You just keep your hands under that cool water." Anju just grunted in response.

Tomoe left the kitchen and quietly slipped into her room to snag her phone from the nightstand. She called the doctor over just to be safe, then called Muramasa to let him know what happened. He sounded worried, but she assured him that there was nothing to worry about and no, he doesn't need to stop his deliveries. The danger was already over and the injuries were minor. Muramasa could drop by later. He reluctantly agreed, and Tomoe knew that he would probably close up the shop early in order to swing by.

Well, that was fine, she supposed.

"Did you find that first aide kit?" Anju called.

"Just a second!" Tomoe replied quickly, dropping the phone as if Anju had caught her in the act.

Once Anju was settled into a chair with ointment applied and carefully wrapped, Tomoe ducked back outside to see how Kaede was doing.

By now, the blue glow had faded away and Kaede was stooped over the ground, picking up each piece of stray metal. Tomoe was alarmed but not surprised to realize that her daughter was crying.

"Oh sweetie, come here," Tomoe crooned as she swept the girl up into another hug. "It's okay; you're alright."

"I didn't mean to hurt Grandma!" Kaede cried, burying her face in Tomoe's nightshirt.

"I know you didn't, baby. It's okay. Grandma is fine, alright?"

"It's my fault!"

"No, no, honey. It was an accident. Accidents happen, especially when you don't know how to control your NEXT powers yet. But this is why we need to know right away when you get them, so we can be better prepared. Understand?"

Kaede buried her face further but nodded. "Good. Now, just to be safe, I've called a doctor over to have a look at your grandmother's hands. But it's just to be safe. Your grandma is a tough one, after all. After he leaves, I think we need to talk about your ability, alright?"

This time there was a headshake.

"Kaede…" Tomoe warned. "This is non-negotiable."

"I don't want this ability," Kaede sobbed. "I never wanted this ability."

"Baby girl, it's nothing to be ashamed of," Tomoe told her firmly. "As a matter of fact, I'm proud of you. With enough practice, you can use your ability to help others just like your daddy did. Even if you don't, it's still just a special skill that makes you, you. Your grandma will tell you the same thing, and so will Uncle Muramasa."

"But grandma got burned because of me," Kaede sniffled, finally pulling her face away to look up at Tomoe.

"That isn't your fault. It was just an accident. You remember trying to ride your bike and you kept falling down?" A small nod. "Having a NEXT ability is just like that. When you don't know how to use something, there's a chance of injuring yourself or others. That doesn't necessarily mean it's your fault; it just means that you need to be very careful and practice so that you can control it and make sure the accident won't happen ever again."

"What if someone got _really_ hurt because of me?" Kaede demanded. "It might be an accident, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't hurt people!"

"Kaede…" Tomoe was about to continue, but a car rolled up and she filed the discussion away for a little later. She made Kaede go back inside to get cleaned up and then led the physician to the kitchen, where a very unamused Anju shot her a look.

She could be indignant all she wished; Tomoe wasn't about to risk it. If Anju got any lasting injuries from this incident, Kaede would never forgive herself.

Thankfully, the doctor just confirmed what Anju apparently already knew. They were just light burns and they should go away within the month. He told her to keep using ointment and if she developed any sudden issues to come to the clinic.

Tomoe thanked him as she saw him out, then turned to go back inside and have a serious talk with Kaede. She didn't see her daughter anywhere inside, though. Anju wasn't sure of where she was either when Tomoe asked.

They both worriedly checked the house again, then the backyard. When they saw Kaede digging weeds out of the ground, both women gave a sigh of relief. Kaede was a smart girl; it was probably for the best if she stayed outside for as long as she could just in case the magnetism came back. Still, she should've told Anju if she was going out to the back to take care of the garden. But given Kaede's miserable expression, Tomoe decided not to pile anything else onto the girl's shoulders. They had a hard enough talk coming up as it was.

Maybe she should make breakfast first, though. The conversation might be easier on a full stomach. Tomoe left Anju to supervise as she went back inside to make the food. The kitchen was still a mess, with water all over the floor.

The pot of miso soup that Anju had so desperately wrangled was tossed haphazardly into the sink, scallions and pieces of crumbling tofu sliding into the drain. The rice, however, had survived in its cooker. Tomoe quickly set the machine to 'keep warm' and grabbed a pan out of the cabinet.

It was actually kind of nice, cooking. Tomoe hadn't particularly enjoyed it before, and once Kotetsu died, she didn't ever really cook for herself. This felt nostalgic, a reminder of a simpler time when things were easy. Kaede would be happily kicking her feet at the table out of impatience for her breakfast. Kotetsu was even worse, stealing bits of food or batter when he thought Tomoe wasn't looking (she always was).

Tears prickled at the corners of Tomoe's eyes, but she didn't cry. She couldn't. If she started, she wouldn't stop for the rest of the day.

By the time she was done, Tomoe was rather proud of her work. Only one of the omelets didn't fold right, leaving the plate a mess of shredded egg and rice. The second was only slightly burned, and the last turned out pretty decent, if a bit lopsided.

She brought the plates outside for everyone to eat on the back porch (though she did have to send Kaede in to wash her hands again).

It was a quiet morning, only the chirping of a few birds and the scraping of forks against plates broke the calm. Tomoe did miss how peaceful it could be out here; Stern Bild was always moving and full of noise. It could get tiring after a while.

Despite the fact that Kaede still looked pretty down, Tomoe felt proud of herself for coaxing her daughter into a conversation about school. They discussed how Kaede was doing with her skating and how classes were going. (According to Anju, she was struggling a bit with her English homework but otherwise acing her subjects like Tomoe knew she would.)

Once the last pieces of rice were being chased down by juice, Tomoe put her foot down. Now was the time to discuss whatever happened yesterday.

"Speaking of classes, what exactly happened yesterday?"

"Skylar went to pass up his homework and tapped my shoulder to get my attention."

"Did he annoy you?" A shake of the head. "He hasn't been rude to you, has he?" Another no. "Then why exactly did you yell at that poor boy? I know that you said it was because he was a NEXT, but you aren't the type of girl to be prejudiced like that."

"I didn't want him to touch me because…" the rest of the sentence was mumbled incomprehensively.

"What was that?"

"Because of _my_ NEXT ability," Kaede admitted quietly.

"Was your magnetism about to flare up?" Tomoe asked, utterly confused as to what one had to do with the other.

Kaede shook her head. "The magnetism isn't mine. It's Skylar's. I can copy other NEXT abilities."

A _copy_ ability? This was the first that Tomoe had heard of one. Does that mean that her body undergoes a change each time she gains a power? Can she copy more than one at once? It came with a dizzying amount of implications, but Tomoe forced herself to focus. She was not working right now and her daughter needed her.

"When did you find out about this?" Tomoe asked, running her fingers soothingly through Kaede's hair.

"About a week ago, maybe. I accidentally copied a friend's ability during gym class. I held down her feet while she did sit-ups. Her power allowed her to communicate with birds. So when I came out of school and realized that I could tell that all the birds were commenting on how cold the weather had gotten for those past few days, I freaked out."

"Did you assume just from that instance that it was a copy ability because of how unique your friend's power was?"

"I wasn't too sure, but I figured it was more likely than the two of us having the same exact ability. Yesterday just proved me right."

Tomoe nodded thoughtfully. All of this was very interesting information, and she struggled to keep herself in line.

"Well, on Monday, I think you need to apologize to Skylar. As for your abilities, you're an incredibly smart girl. I have no doubt that you'll be able to harness it quickly, especially now that you have me and Grandma to help you out," Tomoe commented. "Remember, Grandma had to raise your father, and his ability was a lot more destructive."

"It's true," Anju broke in. "I thought that boy was going to tear down the whole house! I wish I'd had someone to help me out back then. But at least I can help you now, even if it is only a little bit. I have a better idea of what I'm in for." The woman sipped her tea with a pinched expression, likely remembering all of the furniture and appliances that had to be replaced or repaired whenever Kotetsu came in contact with them.

Kaede gave them a shaky smile, still looking as if she might burst into tears again. Tomoe tugged her into a side hug.

"Do you know if the powers leave after a certain amount of time?"

"No. I think the bird ability went away when Skylar touched me, but I'm not sure. It kept fading in and out."

"Alright then. I think our first order of business will be to figure that little detail out, but we're not going to worry about that right now. What we are going to worry about right now…is what flavor of ice cream you want."

The ice cream shop and convenience store weren't too far away, so Tomoe and Kaede took the short walk over with a cooler in tow. (Anju wanted to go with, but Tomoe managed to convince her to stay home and rest by offering to bring back a carton of matcha ice cream.)

They ended up staying out way longer than Tomoe had intended; the sun was high in the sky by the time she and Kaede began to head back. Still, it was time well-spent. She had missed out on a lot while she was away, and it was nice to feel like a mother again as her daughter caught her up on everything that's happened. Tomoe was especially glad that Kaede seemed to be in better spirits than before. She resolved at that moment to stop hiding from her daughter and come home more often.


End file.
